BURREN Animal Rescue have a new resident and while we are completely bemused by the situation, our heart goes out to the (not so) little guy.

This male Kunekune pig turned up on Sunday morning in a garden in Cratloe of all places and no one has any idea where he came from.

Burren Animal Rescue’s Sheena Twist believes the poor piggie may have been dumped as no one has come to claim him so far.

“I have to imagine he has been dumped at this stage because if he’s lost, no one seems to be looking for him,” Sheena added.

Sheena is appealing to his owners to get in touch, even if it’s to shed some light on the pig’s history.

Kunekune pig Photo: Burren Animal Rescue Facebook page
Kunekune pig Photo: Burren Animal Rescue Facebook page

“If someone even sent us an anonymous letter so it would be easier for us to help him. We have no idea if he is good with other pigs, or even what he likes to eat,” she added.

This breed of pigs come from New Zealand, with Kunekune translating to “fat and round” from the Maori language.

“Mr Kunekune” as he has been dubbed, is a fairly sizeable fellow.

Standing at 30 inches high, two foot wide and nearly five foot long, he weighs in at a whopping 300 kilos.

Sheena doubts he would have been able to get very far on his own, as he is so heavy he cannot stay on his hooves for too long.

She contacted the Department of Agriculture, but the pig has not been registered with them.

All pigs must be tagged but Mr Kunekune has no holes in his ears where the tags would be, indicating that he was never registered.

He is massively overweight and is in desperate need of shedding a few pounds of bacon.

“It’s not his fault. He’s used to being handled and someone obviously cares about him when he has been fed so much,” Sheena added.

The pig is friendly though and loves a good scratch behind the ears.

He will stay at Burren Animal Rescue with Sheena until he finds his new forever home.

Check out Burren Animal Rescue’s video of the piggie in his new surroundings:

Related News

john gibbons 1-2
Data centres employ less than Woodie's but use a fifth of Ireland's electricity - Gibbons issues stark warning on 'catastrophic changes'
gary brennan donal cahir 1
Clare sporting great Brennan appointed deputy principal of St Flannan's College
us air force 1
'Shannon Airport cannot be used in illegal war'
save ennis town 10-10-23 abbey street car park
Abbey Street, Harvey's Quay & Post Office Field projects removed from Ennis 2040 strategy
Latest News
newmarket celtic vs shannon town 01-03-26 brian monaghan eoin hayes 2
Clare Cup champions Newmarket Celtic secure quarter-final place
14-Clare Handball_Feb_27_2026_45
Clare represented in eleven grades for All-Ireland handball semi-finals
gary brennan donal cahir 1
Clare sporting great Brennan appointed deputy principal of St Flannan's College
tulla utd v bridge utd 09-11-25 fiachra hale 1
Tulla through to Clare Cup last eight at Tage's expense
us air force 1
'Shannon Airport cannot be used in illegal war'
Premium
Clare Cup champions Newmarket Celtic secure quarter-final place
Tulla through to Clare Cup last eight at Tage's expense
'Shannon Airport cannot be used in illegal war'
Abbey Street, Harvey's Quay & Post Office Field projects removed from Ennis 2040 strategy
'Put down the microphone' - Clare TD Crowe told 'sit down & don't speak' at health meeting

Subscribe for just €3 per month

If you’re here, you care about County Clare. So do we. Did you rely on us for Covid-19 updates, follow our election coverage, or visit The Clare Echo every week for breaking news and sport? The Clare Echo invests in local journalism and we want to safeguard its future in our county. By becoming a subscriber you are supporting what we do, will receive access to all our premium articles and a better experience, while helping us improve our offering to you. Subscribe to clareecho.ie and get the first six months for just €3 a month (less than 75c per week), and thereafter €8 per month. Cancel anytime, limited time offer. T&Cs Apply. www.clareecho.ie.